If there was an award for most scenic outdoor concert, the Vancouver Folk Music Festival would win - hands down. Set amid the weeping willows of Jericho Beach Park with mountains in the background and Pacific Ocean in the foreground, there is no better place in the world to get your folked-up freak on.

Of course, it all depends on the weather. And this year, we were lucky...well, for the most party anyway. The 35th annual three-day celebration kicked off with two beautiful sunny days before the cloud rolled in on Sunday, so pretty good (or as Meat Loaf would say, "two out of three ain't bad").

In terms of the musical lineup, there was a super sweet mix of seasoned counter-culture vets and fresh new talent such as Vancouver's very own singer/songwriter Dan Mangan. And even though there were more than a few nods to the festival's hippie past, including a psychedelic hula-hoop vendor on site (...just saying), the Folk Fest really does offer a little something for every kind of concertgoer. So with that in mind, if you didn't get a chance to check it out this year, I highly recommend doing so next year. I promise, you won't get a single whiff of petula oil - swear to god.

Holy Humour

Speaking of the almighty, God bless the Arts Club Theatre Company for its production of Altar Boyz. This hilarious musical about a bible-thumping boy band is a definite must-see. The phenomenal cast had everyone in stitches at the media opening night. In fact, when the fab five came out after the show to mingle with guests in the Revue Stage lobby, they were greeted like rock stars. It seemed like everyone and their dog wanted to meet and/or take a photo of the multi-talented actors. You can see why from now until September 1. For show times, visit www.artsclub.com.

Brew Bonanza

There was no shortage of suds at the 2012 Nando's Canada Cup of Beer on Saturday. According to the festival organizers, approximately 1,000 beer connoisseurs passed through Swangard Stadium, where countless breweries set up tasting booths under the beautiful baking sun. Judging by the smiles on the half-cut, sunburnt attendees, fun was had by all. To find out which companies won the "Drinker's Choice Awards," check out, canadacupofbeer.com in the days to come.